Salvation Within Damnation
by Misanthropic-Bear
Summary: It had been centuries since Sebastian felt stirrings for anyone, much less a mortal woman, but Evelyn Black has started bringing out the humanity in this demon. Trying for the heart of a woman who lost her lover seems crude, but his desire for her consumes him, and he finds himself thinking he's robbing heaven of an angel. A/U modern time, eventual Grell S.
1. Introduction

Salvation Within Damnation; Intro, how it came to be.

"Something's wrong, Evie."  
Evelyn paused and looked around the small clearing they had entered through the forest path. It was a calm night, the skies were clear and the stars shined brightly, the moon illuminated their way, and a gentle breeze swept the through the trees, welcoming them into the forest.  
"What do you mean? It seems like the perfect night to me."  
Velkan gripped her hand tighter, he didn't know what, but something was up. It just didn't...feel right. Like he was being watched. Evelyn pried her hand from his and sauntered out to the middle of the clearing, her arms spread wide, showing him they were the only ones there.  
"Honestly Velkan, there's nothing to worry about here. We're perfectly sa-"  
She was cut off by a gunshot that ripped through her torso, she groaned in pain and looked down at her chest, falling to her knees.  
"God dammit no!" Velkam rushed to her and held her in his arms, applying as much pressure to the wound as possible in a vain effort to stop the bleeding.  
"Fucking hell, don't you dare leave me. You promised me, remember?" He met her eyes and saw they were already glazing over, she was turning a pale white that rivaled fresh snow.

"Well that was a little more fun than expected. Now I suppose we should take care of you."  
Velkan tensed when he heard the silken voice coming from the trees. A man. He emerged from the bushes and looked at Velkan holding onto Evelyn for dear life. A random person, who attacked his Evelyn for no reason. His hair a dirty blonde, shoulder length and disheveled. His eyes a piercing blue, his malice and cruelty shone brightly. A fucking madman.  
"You fucking bastard." Velkan growled at him, he released Evelyn and put himself in between her and her killer.  
"You fucking bastard," he repeated. "I'll kill you!"  
"Not before I make you watch what I'll do to her body." He grinned evilly. Velkan caught onto his intent and lunged at him, rage filled him like never before.

_Beep_  
_ Beep_  
_ Beep_  
Evelyn's mind came back to her, save for an incessant beeping, it was deadly silent. There was nothing. Only the sound of her breath in her lungs and that damned beeping.  
Slowly, she opened one of her eyes_, _it was...white. Very, very, white. Almost blinding. She managed to tilt her head in the direction of the beeping sound, and noticed a thin red line, peaking every couple seconds.  
It reminded her of a heart monitor.  
_Heart monitor? Why would I be somewhere with a heart...no, wait, am I in a hospital? What would I be doing in a hospital? Nothing happened, we were walking in the woods and...Velkan. The gunshot!_  
Evelyn opened her eyes fully and much to her dismay she was indeed in a hospital, hooked up to a heart monitor, with that infernal beeping, that peaking red line flashing on the screen.  
"Velkan." She grimaced at her own face, it sounded like a at being dragged over nails. Her throat was dry, and sore. She forced herself to sit up, despite the throbbing pain in her ribs.  
"No no, hon. Don't get up just yet." A energetic nurse came rushing in and urged Evelyn to lie back down. "We just got you out of surgery, you need to let those stitches heal."  
"Surgery?" Evelyn croaked. The nurse handed her a cup of water, it hurt to swallow, but soothed her dry throat. "What happened to me?"  
Her face turned grim. "Oh honey, I shouldn't be the one to tell you that." She trailed off, giving Evelyn a look of pity. "This detective here wants to speak with you, do you feel okay with speaking to him?"  
"A detective? Why does a detective want to speak with me?" Evelyn asked, her sense of worry growing stronger. The woman avoided eye contact with her, clearly she wasn't going to tell her anything. "All right, I'll speak with him."

Detective John Ray sat in a cushioned chair, reading through the file in his lap that his superior gave him yesterday. He wasn't looking forward to this. He had done many homicides, but it was dealing with women in hospitals after something like this. To give them this kind of news, and then to interview them, right after waking up...it just felt wrong.  
_"Yeah hi, I'm John. Look you were attacked by a madman who shot you and killed your boyfriend, then raped and beat you as you lay dying. Did you happen to get a good look at him? No? Okay, we'll talk later, have a nice fucking day."_  
He shook his head, he wasn't good at this kind of shit. He'd much rather be at the crime scene than doing this.  
"Detective?"  
John raised his head and saw a nurse coming over to him. "She's awake, and she feels up to speaking with you."  
"Does she know? Anything?"  
"No, she only remembers being shot." the woman replied grimly.  
Fuck. Of course. Make things on him easier, why the hell not? A knot in his stomach, he got up from the chair and made his way into the girl's room. Her hair loose and fanning around her shoulders, framing her pale face, covered in bruises and cuts. Bandages along her arms, a split lip, a massive black eye, and a bright red patch on her chest, from the bullet.  
_Fuck. _  
He tried as hard as he could to keep his tone even, and his face relatively neutral. Just like the academy had taught. He highly doubted he'd be able to keep it up once he spoke with her.  
Evelyn watched the middle aged man enter the room, he looked almost nervous, but tried to hide it. Whatever this was, it didn't feel like it was going to end well. He sat down on the chair beside her bed, fiddling with the large manilla folder in his hands that had her name on it, written in bright red ink. Urgent.  
"Miss Black, I'm Detective John Ray. I wanted to speak with you about that gunshot wound."  
Evelyn paused, something wasn't right. She was just shot, it wasn't big of a deal, the wouldn't need to send a detective for something like this...  
"Where's Velkan?"  
The detective looked at her, met her eyes, his face stoic. Or at least, he was trying to be. "Miss Black, I'm afraid I'm not here on a happy note. Velkan was also attacked."  
"Well, he's okay isn't he? Recovering from a surgery? Is he still asleep?" She was asking the questions more frantically than she wanted to. Hoping, no. Praying, her instinct was wrong.  
The detective sighed and slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry Evelyn, Velkan didn't make it. He was pronounced dead this morning." He grimaced in sympathetic pain when he saw the realization his the girl's eyes. Her breathing became increasingly laboured, almost as though she was hyperventilating. Her eyes turning red and watering, not yet releasing tears.  
_Much, much rather be at the crime scene..._  
"He...he's dead? Velkan's dead?" She repeated, her voice barely a whisper. An agonizing pain ripped through her chest, a pain worse than a mere bullet. Her heart felt like it was being ripped to shreds by a ravenous beast, her breathing was sharp and stung her lungs. Her throat constricted tightly and her vision went blurry as tears flooded down her cheeks.  
"NO!" She screamed as loud as she could, startling the detective out of his chair. "No, no, no." She repeated over and over again, bringing her arms around her chest, trying to convince herself this was all a dream.  
Her increased heart rate acted like a damned beacon and alerted the nurses, 3 came in and shooed the detective away as they tried to calm her down. She fought back then, desperate to get away, to see Velkan for herself, she needed to see it to believe it. The detective was back, urging her to relax, but to no avail. She felt a sharp pain in her arm and everything went faded to black.  
_ I'll get the fucking bastard who did this to you, to us. I'll do anything it takes. I'd sell my soul to the devil himself to see you again._

When Evelyn finally woke, it was nightfall. She went to bring her hand to her head to alleviate the headache, but quickly found out she had been restrained by the nurses. She had been fucking sedated and tied down. Sighing, she tilted her head toward her window, trying to find some comfort in the stars.  
"Well, you're finally awake."  
Evelyn whirled her head when she heard a new voice, She looked to the doorway, where everything had been coated in shadow, save for two bright red eyes, staring at her intently.  
"I had begun to think they induced you to a medical coma." He said lightly. His voice was soft, soothing, but laden with a seriousness that sent a shiver down her spine. He revealed himself, an extremely handsome man with hair as black as coal, framing his eerily white face. The corner of his mouth was pulled up into a sly smile, accompanied by piercing, glowing red eyes. He was well dressed, in a black suit with white gloves and shirt.  
"I have heard your proclaimation and have come to offer you a deal, my lady. Would you spare a moment?"  
Evelyn nodded her head. The man smiled gently at her and bowed gracefully.  
"My lady, I am Sebastian. A entity of nightmares and harbringer of death, to one's enemies. I listen to those who wish to seek violent vengeance, and you my dear, stuck out among the rest within my ear shot this night. The man who did this to you, and your beloved, do you wish revenge on him?"  
Sebastian lightly chuckled when he saw the raw hate fill her eyes and distort her face in rage. "Very well, I shall give you this revenge. I offer you, my lady, my undying servitude and protection until you find this man and put him in his well deserved grave. I shall make certain nothing like this will ever befall you again. In exchange, all I want is your soul. For what you will do is also a crime, but one of well deserved vengeance in passion." All hints of playfullness left him now, he knelt beside her bed and looked deep into her soul.  
"Do you accept these terms, Evelyn?"  
Evelyn met his eyes, and without hesitation, nodded. Sebastion grinned and removed the glove from his right hand to reveal a very intricate pentagram mark and pitch black nails. He took her hand into his and laid a gentle kiss on her knuckles, and rose from his knees. Evelyn seemed a little confused, but that feeling was overridden by a burning pain in her right hand. The emblem on Sebastian's hand was slowly burning it's way into the top of her hand.  
"You will come to see, mistress," His eyes glowing more than before, he smiled more broadly, showing a hint of fangs. "I am simply one hell of a butler." 


	2. Chapter One Welcome Home

Chapter One; Welome Home

Evelyn kept silent the entire drive home, watching the scenary fleetingly as Sebastian drove her home. It was autumn, her favourite time of the year. At least, it used to be. She used to find the colours so vibrant and beautiful, the air was aromatic, she could be outside for hours, just smelling the air and admiring the colours.  
Now, she came to see, everything was dying. Life was draining from the trees, and the smell of the decomposing flesh of leaves was carried on the wind. And soon, the bodies would be buried under blankets of snow.  
_Just like..._  
_ No. No, don't think of him that way._  
She forced that thought to the back of her head, but the stinging of her eyes said differently. She sniffled lightly and wiped away the small tear that threatened to fall down her cheek.  
Sebastian heard her trying to stiffle the sound. She was trying to appear as though everything was fine, that she was going to get over it. He knew very well that that wasn't going to be so. She would have to come to terms with this, and now, as her butler, he would be there though it all with her.  
"Mistress, we're almost home. When we arrive I was going to make you some tea and draw you a bath, would you care for anything to eat as well?"  
Evelyn sighed audibly from the back seat. "No Sebastian. Just the tea and bath, thank you."  
Even with his enhanced demonic hearing he had to strain to hear her. She barely spoke above a whisper since she left the hospital. Her voice carried the weight of her emotions. This was going to be a long process, she was the type who shut down once something overwhelmed her. He hadn't had many female clients before, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of mistress she would turn out to be.  
Sebastian pulled the car into a long paved driveway, leading up to a very well polished mansion. He had to admire the girl's taste in architecture, a beautiful Victorian home, dark grey and black in colour. It almost reminded him of the young master Ciel before her. Those had been interesting times in his life, times he may have actually genuinely enjoyed.  
Pulling the car into the large garage, the stepped out and opened Evelyn's door. She got out slowly, trying not to strain her body any further. She grimaced when she stood up, and walked very stiffly, still in obvious pain.  
Sebastian looked at her standing before him, and felt a pang of pity for the girl. She was much smaller than he, he was at least six foot five, Evelyn couldn't have been more than five foot three. He noticed that even though she was valiantly trying to hide it, just walking was too painful for her right now. Taking two large strides to catch up to her, Sebastian gently put his arm over her shoulder. "Come my lady, you shouldn't be up and walking just yet." He knelt down beside her and gingerly picked her up without hurting her.  
"Sebastian, please. I have the wheelchair just inside and -"  
"Let my lady walk around while she's in tremendous pain?" He tsked playfully at her. "Now, what kind of butler would I be?"  
Evelyn didn't bother protesting, she was much more tired than she cared to admit. He stopped at the front door only long enough to unlock and open it without so much as a struggle with her in his arm. She expected him to let her down into the wheelchair the hospital had sent for her, but he didn't. He had continued through the main foyer and up the grand marble staircase. She couldn't help but marvel at how well he navigated through the mansion, he found the bathroom quite easily and set her down gently, and moved to take off her coat.  
"How did you know where the bathroom was?" She asked quietly.  
Sebastian simply smiled sweetly at her and removed her coat and began working on her shoes. "My lady, as I have said, I'm simply one hell of a butler."  
She noticed his wine red eyes instantly light up, almost as though saying that amused him greatly.  
_What an odd man..._  
Once Sebastian had removed her coat and shoes, he moved to the large claw bathtub and turned on the water, making sure it was a good warm temperature for her to relax, but too too warm as to pain her wounds. "Now then," he began, adding a lavender scented bubble mixture to the water. "Why don't you finish undressing while I go fetch that tea for you, my lady. Then once you're settled in here, I shall prepare dinner for you."  
"W-what? Sebastian I said I didn't really feel up to eating."  
"You need to regain your strength mistress, you've had a tiring day. Though you say nothing, it shows plainly on your face."  
_Among other things.._ Eveyln thought to herself.  
"Very well, thank you." She said quietly.  
Sebastian rose from the floor and adjusted his coat. "I'll be back in a moment, er, milk and three sugars in your tea, isn't it?" He asked, making his way to the door.  
Evelyn snapped her gaze from the floor to turn and look at him. "How did you..."  
Sebastian's hand paused on the large ornate handle, but he didn't answer, he merely turned back to look her, that sparkle came back to his eye and his mouth was pulled into a half smile.  
_Might as well just go with this. _She thought to herself. "Nevermind." She turned her back to him and began unzipping her sweater, once she heard the door click shut, she breathed out a heavy sigh. The bath did look nice, maybe it would do her some good. She removed her sweater and slowly pulled off her t-shirt, then removed her sweat pants and let them sit on the floor. She looked down at them and sighed, there were spots of blood on them, mostly her shirt. Her gaze moved to her chest, she brought her hand up to feel the stitching they had done to sew her back up after surgery. The bullet, from what she was told, had entered through the front of her torso, narrowly missing her heart, they said she was lucky.  
Lucky.  
Evelyn let her hair down from it's ponytail and looked at herself in the mirror. It was worse than she thought. The bruising around her eye was starting to fade, it was now a dark purple instead of black. The cuts on her face were dried over with crusted blood, her split lip swollen and crusted over, attempting to heal itself. She looked down at her arms, where her attacker had made various cuts all over her arms, a couple small incisions were made on the main artery of her wrists. She removed the bandages and looked back in the mirror.  
Her eyes stung again and she cursed herself for starting to cry again. Why had she suggested going for a walk? She had brought this on herself, on Velkan. Thanks to her, he was dead. That mere thought was enough to break down the weak emotional defense she had been attempting to build. She fell to the floor, letting her tears flow freely now. She ignored the pain coursing through her body, and just cried.

On his way back up the stairs, Sebastian heard a thump on the floor, coming from the bathroom. Keeping the tea steady, he leapt to the top of the staircase and hurried along to the bathroom, he opened the door and froze. Evelyn was on the floor, huddling against the wooden cabinet of the sink, her arms wrapped around her pale, naked body. He noticed the healing cuts on her arms and smelled the fresh blood coming from her. Probably from her split lip. Setting the tea down on the sink, he knelt beside her  
She whispered something when he put his arm on her shoulder, but he couldn't make it out clearly.  
"My lady?"  
"It's all my fault!" She cried louder and wrapped her arms around herself even tighter, her black curly hair falling in front of her face, Sebastian took her into his arms and noticed the combination of blood and tears on the floor from where she had been sitting. He found himself at a loss for words, he didn't know what to say to her. Sebastian lifted her from the floor and gently lowered her into the bath, then moved to the linen closet to grab a washcloth. He sat with her at the edge of the tub, and wet the cloth.  
"My lady, you cannot blame yourself for what happened to you." Sebastian moved the hair from her face and brought the cloth to her face, gently wiping the blood and tears away.  
Evelyn grabbed his hand and pulled it away from her face. "Not me. I don't care about what happened to me. It's Velkan. It's my fault that he's dead!"  
That response actually surprised him. This woman was beaten and attacked within an inch of her life, and all that consumed her thoughts was what became of him. She blamed herself for all of it. Completely selfless, this girl.  
Sebastian released her grip on him and turned her arm over, beginning to wash out the cuts on her arm, his eyes tracing over the cuts as he worked. The fact that someone would do this to another human being without any provocation digusted him. Most clients he served, were resemblant of Ciel, they wanted vengeance for family who had been killed, and made a few enemies along the way to get where they were. Ciel's family was responsible for keeping the country of England safe, that made them quite unfavourable to criminals.  
But this, this was a woman who came from a wealthy family who had done wrong to no one, Evelyn herself had done wrong to no one. What had happened to her was an act of senseless violence. Even in a demon's eyes it was despicable.  
"No, my lady. It isn't." He spoke softly, finding his words again. "What happened to you was senseless, disgusting and cruel. What happened to Velkan was unforgiveable, but through no fault of your own." He dropped the washcloth in the water with a light splash, and gently tilted Evelyn's head to make her look at him. Her emerald green eyes shone brightly with tears, filled with self loathing.  
"I do not want you thinking this was in any way your doing. And once you find this man and you give me the order, I will end him for you." Sebastian reached and toyed with a small tendril of her hair. " A mortal such as yourself shouldn't be filled with such rage and self loathing, my lady. It takes away from such precious beauty."  
He sighed and moved away from her then, bringing her her cup of tea and bowing gracefully. I shall be downstairs preparing your dinner, if you need me for anything, my lady."  
Evelyn watched as he shut the door and was left with her thoughts steaming in the bath.  
_I will end him for you._  
Wasn't the deal that he keep her safe until she found the man and killed him herself? Shaking her head, she set the cup of tea down and wiped away her remaining tears, and began washing her hair, wondering just what kind of demon she had bargained with.


	3. Chapter Two The Funeral

Chapter Two; The Funeral. (Farewell, My Love)

Sebastian paused in front of the heavy wooden door, mug of hot tea in his hand. He could sense through the door that she was already awake. Rather, she hadn't slept at all for the last two nights. He inhaled slowly and raised his hand to knock on the door when he heard her soft voice call to him.  
"Come in, Sebastian."  
Amazingly astute for a mortal. Smiling, he opened the door to see her sitting in her robe at her vanity mirror, her long raven hair flowed in graceful curls down to the small of her back, obscuring a portion of her face in her reflection angled towards him.  
"I'm not exactly a fan of that feeling I get when someone's watching or hovering over me." She said quietly without turning to face him.  
"My apologies, my lady. I have a fresh cup of tea here for you." He moved beside her and set the mug down on the desk.  
"Thank you."  
Sebastian stood silent for a few moments, he had been with Evelyn for about a week now, and she was proving to be a very, very different kind of person than his previous clients. She was incredibly independant, often, he found himself only able to bring her tea and tidy up any of the rooms she had overlooked while going about her day. She didn't exactly speak either, but he had figured that was due to losing her lover. Today was the day of his funeral, and he could sense it was going to be a very trying day for her.  
"My lady, we should get you ready for the funeral, it is in a couple of hours." He suggested quietly.  
Yes, it was. In a couple of hours her Velkan would be buried under six feet of earth, this was going to be her final goodbye to him. No more seeing him the very next day, no more phone calls, no more e-mails to read while she was at work.  
She would never hear his voice again. Never see his face. Never feel his touch.  
The police had finally released the body to her once they had completed the autopsy, it was concluded that Velkan had died from blunt force trauma to the head and torso. Her attacker had beaten him so severely that he was unable to move and was forced to watch what he had done to her while he lay dying.  
The mere thought made her stomach churn.  
"The black dress in the closet, please, Sebastian."  
Sebastian moved to the closet while she removed her robe and placed it on the bed. Opening the closet door, he found only one dress in the closet. Assuming it had certain sentimental value, he gingerly carried it over to the bed and splayed it out nicely. Not exactly high end quality, but it was indeed a nice garment. He reached to Evelyn to help her but she held up her hand in refusal and slid it over her body, the hem came to a stop just below her knees.  
The sleeveless dress looked very elegant on her. A flowing imitation silk material, with a waist cinching belt that accented her curves nicely. She had already chosen her jewelery, a simple stainless steel circle pendant, and one single English pewter ring with a bright red heart, set on her ring finger. Evelyn brushed past Sebastian to go to the closet and grab a pair of black felt flats that had little metal pyramid studs decorating the toe section. She slid them on, then turned to look back at him.  
"Sebastian, you wouldn't know how to braid hair would you?"  
Sebastian smiled at her sheepish question. "But of course, take a seat my lady." He gestured to her vanity mirror chair, resisting the urge to actually chuckle at her look of slight embarrasment. Once she was seated he moved behind her and took her hair into his hands, gently dividing it into three even sections, then began braiding it.  
"My lady doesn't braid?" He asked lightly.  
"I do, but it's a little harder for me to manage with my hair this long, it was something Velkan always helped me with." She replied with a sad smile.  
Nodding his head understandingly, Sebastian reached for the single decorative hair elastic she had on the vanity; a single black elastic with a black rose. He couldn't help but notice her scent, a very light, womanly scent of roses and lilac, yet she wasn't wearing perfume.  
"There we are," he stood back and smiled at her from behind the mirror. "An absolute vision of loveliness, but something is missing."  
She gave him a puzzled look, he rested her hands on his shoulders and bent down so he was level with her, pulling a tube of bright red lipstick from his back pocket, he slid it into her hand.  
"A little red will tie everything together nicely." He said.  
Evelyn met his eyes in the mirror and smiled, more genuinely this time. "I think you're right."  
Sebastian watched as she applied the lipstick, she was careful not to smudge it and make sure that the colour was covering evenly. But right now, he far too occupied with her lips. He felt a stirring within him he hadn't felt in centuries.  
Evelyn finished the final touches then met his eyes in the mirror, he was watching her intently the entire time, and she didn't even notice. Sebastian was completely fixed on her, it sent chills over her. Swallowing nervously, she cleared her throat. "How's that?"  
Sebastian turned her chair so she was facing him, taking her hands in his he helped her stand. "You, my lady, are absolutely stunning." She blushed a little, pulling a small mischievous grin from him.  
_ Wait, what the hell am I doing? Velkan's being __**buried **__today..._  
Evelyn released her hands from Sebastian's gentle hold and sighed heavily. "I suppose we should get going." She said quietly.  
Sebastian couldn't deny that pang of sadness that went through him. He had seen the change in her once Velkan crossed her mind. He had been trying to bring her out of her depression, he already knew it wasn't going to be easy, but in order to move on and find his killer, she needed a clear head.  
"Yes, mistress." He followed her through the doorway and down the large staircase, making doubly sure he locked the door behind him. He held the car door open for her as she slid into the back seat, then seated himself in the front and headed off to the cemetery. It would only be a small ceremony. Evelyn and a couple of her employees from her little business, since the boy had no other family.

They reached the cemetery all too quickly for Evelyn's liking. As Sebastian drove through the graveyard to Velkan's gravesite, she gazed over the property. Rows upon rows of stones, she had never given it much thought before, cemeteries. She liked to go through them and read the stones, every now and then she would even bring a bouquet of black roses and leave one at some of the graves. But only now did it hit her fully. Hundreds, if not thousands of bodies were buried here, flesh rotting away in elegant caskets, until nothing but bone was left. She found herself wondering if there were even any bones left anymore in some of them.  
She snapped out of her thoughts when she felt the car stop. She moved to open the car door but Sebastian was already there, and assisted her, her legs were still a little stiff. Once outside she saw it; Velkan's black casket shone brightly in the autumn sun, a picture of him rested on top with a large bouquet of red roses. She hadn't looked at a picture of him until today, his face still haunted her dreams, bloody, bruised and sunken in, begging for her to come to him.  
In the photo his shoulder length brown hair was pulled into a low ponytail, he was smiling brightly and his blue eyes sparkled with life. This had been a picture taken from a wedding they had attended for one of her employees. She walked up the hill with Sebastian's arm resting on her back for support. She moved to stand at the front of the small group, looking down into the rectangular pit where he would be laid to rest.  
"Miss Black, I'm so sorry." One of Evelyn's younger employees, Anna, came up behind her. She was in her late teens. Her blonde hair left loose to flow around her black blouse, her doe-brown eyes that were usually filled with laughter, now replaced with melancholy.  
"Thank you for coming, Anna." Evelyn replied quietly. Anna took her into a hug, then noticed Sebastian standing behind her.  
"Oh, hello. Are you a friend of Velkan's?"  
"No, I am Miss Black's butler." Sebastian replied, keeping his eye on Evelyn, a couple of the other mourners had already noticed him, and whispers were being spread around the small group, whispers he wasn't liking.  
"Oh, a butler." Anna looked to Evelyn for an explanation.  
"With Velkan gone, I needed a little help around the house, Sebastian offered me his services." Evelyn said simply, she had rehearsed this little white lie just for this occassion.  
"Oh, I see. Well, it was nice to meet you Sebastian, but I must get back to my mother, excuse me." Anna turned to leave, but stopped short and turned back. "Miss Black, what are we doing about work?"  
Evelyn paused, she hadn't thought about that, she wasn't in any condition to go back to work just yet.  
"I've taken care of that, my lady." Sebastian interjected. "I've sent out notices that the shop will be closed for the next two weeks, you will all be compensated your scheduled hours."  
Anna looked at him suspiciously. "Two weeks. Alright then, if I don't see you before then, I'll see you at work, Miss Black."  
Evelyn watched as she went to join the small group, they had all been standing close together, seemingly eager for Anna to rejoin them, no one else had approached her. Just as well, she didn't feel up to speaking with anyone anyway.  
"Thank you, Sebastian." Evelyn said quietly, turning to face Velkan's casket.  
"If I couldn't handle simple payroll tasks and customers for my mistress, well, what kind of butler would I be?" Sebastian offered her a kind smile, receiving a small sad tug of her lips in return.  
Soon the pastor arrived, not exactly her idea since she wasn't a person of faith, but it was the norm for funerals these days. Not really listening to the sermon, she was thinking back on the times she had had with Velkan, memories flooded through her, filling her with bittersweet joy. She would never have memories like that again. She paid no attention to the tears that flowed down her cheeks, she didn't care anymore, freely let them fall. All too suddenly the sermon was over and they had begun lowering the casket into the grave.  
Evelyn choked on a sob and grabbed Sebastian's hand, gripping tightly to cope with the realization hitting her. When the casket settled at the bottom of the grave and she saw the people moving to start filling the grave, she couldn't do it. She couldn't watch them bury him. She turned suddenly and buried her face into Sebastian's coat.  
Sebastian instantly wrapped his arms around Evelyn when she turned into him, felt her body shake from her sobs. The poor girl, he actually sympathized with her. However, her actions brought forth more whispers from her employees. Disgusted with them, he kneeled down to face Evelyn, waiting for the inevitable order.  
"Sebastian, take me home. Please."  
The tone in her voice pained him, but he obliged without haste. Standing, he wrapped his arm around her waist and escorted her to the car, the group of people still whispering behind them. Sebastian quickly made their way home, and watched as she ran from the car and into the house, tears streaming down her face.  
There would be no consoling her tonight.  
_Consoling? What are you, her mother? You're a fucking demon, the hell are you doing trying to comfort a mortal. You forged a contract, that's all this is._  
And yet, she brought forth the humanity in him, though, he wasn't entirely sure if it was from pity, or genuine compassion for the girl. For the second time in his life, he was torn between work and emotions for his client.  
Sighing in slight frustration, he got out of the care and followed after her, she was up in her room, crying her poor heart out. All hesitation and denial left her today, her sadness had overwhelmed her. He knocked on the door and entered quietly, he moved to sit on the bed where she was lying face down, crying into her pillow.  
"I'm sorry, Evelyn." He said softly, putting a comforting hand on her back.  
She fought back a sob long enough to turn her head to look at him. "Sebastian...would you..."  
She didn't even have to finish the sentence, she wanted him to stay. "Of course, my lady."  
He moved to lie beside her, instantly she clung to him and resumed crying softly into his shoulder. He hugged her to him gently, idly playing with her hair. He felt strangely...content with her like this.  
After a little while she fell asleep, her face still buried in his shoulder and her hand resting on his chest, her breathing had evened out, she occasionally flinched in her sleep, more than likely from a dream.  
To her, he was a demon butler, a temporary comfort and replacement. But right now, she was his comfort. Though she didn't show any outward affection toward him, he was going to hold onto this moment. Comforted, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep, for the first time in almost four hundred years, with her.


	4. Chapter Three

**So sorry about the delay dear readers, everything's been kind hectic at home, losing my wallet, replacing important documents, family trip, cleaning the house, practicing for my driving test, all that shit. But I assure you, this story is FAR from over.**

**Anyway, shall we continue?**

Chapter Three; His Lady, Strong and Wonderful.

The next morning Evelyn woke from her sound sleep, only to find she wasn't alone. Tilting her head upwards, she met bright crimson eyes peering down at her.  
"Good morning my lady, glad to see you've finally woken. I trust you slept well?" Sebastian asked her softly. He hadn't moved an inch from where he was last night.  
"S-Sebastian?" Evelyn sat up and groggily rubbed her eyes. "You stayed with me the whole night?"  
He still didn't move, only smiled up at her. "If it was inappropriate my lady, I apologize." Silently, he hoped she wouldn't be cross with him.  
"No, not it's not that. Just...wait, how long have you been awake?"  
"About three hours, mistress." He cocked his head in curiosity when her face fell and she turned away from him. "My lady?"  
"You could have gotten up, Sebastian. You didn't need to stay." She said quietly.  
_Gotten up?  
_ He grinned in spite of himself. For the last three hours he had been listening to her breath rise and fall, her steady heartbeat thumping against his ribs, and her hands clutching his coat and wrapping her arms around him when she sought comfort throughout the night. This is what Velkan had slept with every night, someone who needed him, someone who was afraid to let him go, lest he be gone in the morning.  
"Did you _want _me to leave, my lady?" Sebastian asked, emphasizing that one word.  
Evelyn paused, that was probably the soundest sleep she'd had since losing Velkan...  
_Oh don't be stupid. The man is fulfilling a contract, he does as you ask, and then he gets your soul as a little tidbit. Then he's onto the next person who makes a deal. He doesn't care, he's a demon. Don't get those thoughts in your head.  
_She couldn't bring herself to answer him; instead she rose from the bed and took her hair out of her braid, letting it flow down her back, sat down at her vanity mirror and began removing her slightly smudged make up.  
"You're used to being ordered around, aren't you?" Evelyn asked.  
"Of course, my lady. That is what is expected of a butler serving someone of your standing. No matter what." Sebastian stood from the bed and straightened his jacket, then moved to stand behind her.  
"Well, things have changed Sebastian. I'm sure you of all people can see that."  
Sebastian laughed lightly, if she could only comprehend how many changes he has seen. "I can indeed my lady."  
Evelyn twisted herself around to face him this time. "I'm not your master Sebastian."  
What on earth was she talking about? That was the terms of the contract, he served her until her vengeance was achieved. "My lady, the contract—"  
"That contract states that you protect me and don't let harm befall me until I have my revenge. Was it not?"  
Where was she going with this? He was actually slightly confused, a big first for a demon of his standing. "Y-yes, it is."  
"Sebastian, I don't want you to go through with this contract thinking that you're my servant. I don't believe in servants. I'm no good at ordering anyone around. While you have a contract with me, you have free will. My only wish is that I don't get beaten to a pulp and raped again until my revenge is achieved." Evelyn brushed her hair behind her ear and offered Sebastian a small smile.  
"If I need anything from you, I will _ask_ for it. I don't need someone waiting on me hand and foot, more so, I don't _want _anyone to wait on me."  
Sebastian was completely dumbfounded. Every other person he had served had relished in ordering him about, some to the point where he had to restrain himself from murdering them himself. He was actually hesitant serving people in this era because of how selfish the humans have become. Granted they couldn't get away with the same acts they could, but most humans now were still sadistic enough to make a demon cringe.  
But not Evelyn. She was independent, wanting to do things for herself, only asking for help, never demanding it; a truly pure soul indeed. However, that still presented one problem.  
"I understand my lady, but I can only act if you give me an order."  
Evelyn smiled. "Then let's make a little side deal, would that be possible?"  
Sebastian chuckled, it wasn't possible, it would be a stipulation of their contract, but his curiosity had been piqued. "What do you propose, my lady?"  
"I wish for you to take the word 'please' as an order, Sebastian. And...promise me, that you won't leave me until I have earned my revenge."  
Sebastian smiled, raised his right hand to his breast and kneeled before her. "Yes, my young mistress. While you're getting ready, shall I prepare you your morning tea and breakfast?"  
"No, that's all right." Evelyn turned back to her mirror and tied her hair into a low ponytail, she was still in her dress from the day before. "I was going to change and get back to work."  
"Mistress, with all due respect, you need to eat and regain your strength, and you're not yet in condition to go back to work." Sebastian advised.  
"Not go back, but I need to get new flavour batches ready for when we do open, and go shopping to get more ingredients. I was going to prepare my own breakfast today, you've done so much for me already." Evelyn got up from her chair and smiled again at him. "I am a big girl, you know."  
"If you're referring to your stature, I'm afraid I'd have to disagree my lady." Sebastian shot back playfully.  
Evelyn giggled, a light, melodic sound, almost heavenly. "Was that a joke from you, dear Sebastian?"  
"If I couldn't make my lady laugh, then what kind of butler would I be?"  
Evelyn brushed past him, heading downstairs. "One hell of a butler to me."  
Sebastian froze, never before had a master bantered with him, let alone compliment him. Never had someone actually enjoy his company, who didn't relish in ordering him around, who treated him like an equal. He followed her downstairs to the kitchen where she was busy preparing an Italian sausage and mozzarella filled omelette.  
"Why not make yourself comfy Sebastian? It'll be done in just a minute." Evelyn gestured to the dark cherry wood table set up with two plates.  
Sebastian shook his head with a light chuckle, a very flattering gesture on her part, but it was no good.  
"My lady, I should tell you that-"  
"I assume demons don't normally eat food seeing as they maintain sustenance through other means, but honestly Sebastian, no food at all? That's just ridiculous. Please, take a seat and share a breakfast with me." Evelyn smirked playfully as she flipped the omelette in the pan.  
"As you wish, young mistress." Sebastian took his chair and watched her move around the kitchen. A mortal woman preparing an unnecessary meal for her demon butler, the idea alone was amusing, and yet here she was, in the flesh, moving as quickly as she could in the kitchen and preparing breakfast for the two of them.  
He moved his hands out of the way as she brought the frying pan over with the two omelettes, sliding them onto their individual plates, accompanied by a piece of toast, and a cup of tea. She sat down in the chair beside him and offered him a sheepish smile. "I wasn't sure if you drank tea, yourself. But milk and sugar is here."  
"Just black tea will do, my lady." He smiled softly at her and sipped the tea while she prepared her own, pouring in a bit of milk to make it a nice caramel colour, with three level tea spoons of sugar. She then moved to take a bite of her omelette.  
Sebastian stared at the generous portion on his plate. Realistically, this was a waste of time for him, a demon didn't need mortal food at all. He couldn't even remember the last time he had mortal food, but, he couldn't the first gesture of kindness shown to him in thousands of years pass him by.  
Picking up the fork, he took a small bite.  
"My lady..."  
"Yes Sebastian?"  
"This is wonderful." Sebastian marveled. The omelette was perfectly fluffy, the sausage was sautéed so it had a nice light crunch, yet the juices held in tact, and the mozzarella cheese melted to creamy perfection. He smiled when Evelyn blushed.  
"Glad you like it. Told you some food is required every now and then. My soul will only sustain you for so long, you know." Evelyn said, taking a sip of her tea.  
What an odd mortal, someone who insisted on making a demon breakfast, then joke about him eating her soul. Most mortals wanted to avoid talking about that bit of their contract. Before Sebastian could respond to her comment, a loud knock sounded from the front door in the next room.  
"Mistress, were you expecting anyone today?"  
Evelyn shook her head slowly.  
"Stay here, Mistress, I will go see to this." Sebastian excused himself and hurried to the front door, opening it, he found a middle aged man standing there, holding a manila folder. Dressed in a long tan wool coat and a classy black fedora.  
"Oh, hello there. I'm Detective John Ray, and looking for Miss Evelyn Black."  
"I don't recall Miss Black scheduled to speak with you today." Sebastian said coldly.  
"Yes, well, I wanted to stop by and ask Miss Black some questions, and see how she's doing."  
"I see, come in Detective, I will go get the young Mistress for you."  
Detective Ray moved into the main foyer, marveling how a young woman of only twenty two came to own such a home. And who was this odd man? Who in the world had a butler anymore?

"Detective, what brings you here today?" Evelyn asked in surprise, with the tall butler in tow, following her closely.  
"Hello Miss Black, I wanted to see how you were doing. No one has seen you since the funeral."  
"I've been getting things ready for work, not to mention healing. More importantly, grieving. Understandably, I don't really feel like seeing anyone. What is it you came to talk to me about?" Evelyn crossed her arms over her chest, eager to get this over with.  
"I wanted to speak to you about Velkan actually." The detective dropped the formalities, now thumbing through the manila folder in his hand.  
Evelyn stiffened. "What about him?"  
The detective cleared his throat before speaking this time. "There was an incident he was involved in during his high school years. Do you know about anything that happened during that time?"  
"Detective with all due respect, Velkan was six years older than me. We didn't talk about high school that much." Evelyn retorted, getting slightly annoyed at his vagueness.  
"So, you didn't know he was reported for rape while in tenth grade?"  
Evelyn froze, anger slowly boiling up inside her. "Excuse me?" She said flatly.  
"It seems that Velkan's first girlfriend turned him in and accused him of raping her, though the charges were dropped and he did community service instead. He didn't share that with you?" The detective asked suspiciously.  
"No, he didn't mention anything about that." Evelyn answered coldly. Though she knew of his first girlfriend, no mention of this incident came up, ever. Better yet, why accused of rape? Velkan was a sweetheart, he wouldn't harm anyone unless provoked or in defense.  
"We're looking into our suspects, Miss Black, do you know of anyone at all, that would want to harm you or Velkan?" The detective met her eyes, searching for any hints of lies.  
"No one that comes to mind, some people called me spoiled because of my family's money and sent some hate mail over the years, but other than that, there was nothing. We kept to ourselves mostly."  
"I see." The detective made a small note in the folder, and then dug in his breast pocket to bring out a white business card, holding it out to Evelyn. "If you remember anything, please, do not hesitate at all to call us. We want to catch the people who did this."  
Evelyn snatched the card and held it up for Sebastian to take from her. "I shall. Thank you detective. Was there anything else you wanted to speak about today?"  
"No, my lady, that was everything for today. I'd like to thank you for your time." John moved towards the door and lingered there for a moment. "Would you like us to dispatch some officers to keep watch over you?"  
"That won't be necessary detective, I keep watch over Miss Black and the manor." Sebastian chimed in, the discomfort Evelyn was in was radiating off her in waves, and in turn, actually made him uncomfortable.  
"If you say so. Again Miss Black, if you need anything."  
"I will call, thank you detective." Evelyn said flatly. Watching as the detective tipped his hat and left, leaving Evelyn and Sebastian alone.  
"Sebastian."  
"Yes, my lady?"  
"Tell me, being a demon, you can find out almost anything, can you not?"  
Sebastian grinned, catching her intent. "Indeed I can, mistress."  
"Then please, I need you to look into something for me."  
"Simply give the order, my lady."  
"Look into one by the name of Emily Thompson. See if this accusation against Velkan is true, bring her to me if you must. I want the truth, at any cost."  
Sebastian brought his hand to his breast and kneeled before her. "Yes, my young mistress. I shall recover the truth, by your orders, at _any _cost."


End file.
